Lenovo Might Launch The First 5G-Enabled Smartphone in 2019

Get ready for the fifth generation (5G) of cellular network that will offer downloads at lightning fast speed. The next generation 5G network is just around the corner with carriers upgrading their infrastructure to support the upcoming cellular network and now, we need a 5G ready smartphone. A now-deleted post on Weibo posted by Lenovo VP Chang Cheng intrigued gurus and enthusiasts with his post about Lenovo launching the very first 5G ready smartphone, however, the post was deleted shortly after it was posted. This has led to discussions whether Lenovo is trying to hype its customers or is it actually going to launch a smartphone with 5G capabilities.

The post hints towards Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset which is under production since June 2018. Qualcomm hasn’t officially announced the chipset yet, however, it will be the first chip or modem to support 5G cellular networks. It is expected to roll out in devices later this year or as soon as early 2019 after Qualcomm officially unveils the same at a Snapdragon event to be held in December 2018.

According to the report published by VentureBeat, Qualcomm has reportedly signed contracts with 19 smartphone manufacturer for whom, the chipmaker will create the all-new Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset with 5G capabilities. Additionally, it has also joined hands with some unspecified smartphone manufacturers in order to enable them to launch 5G ready smartphones in the market.

Lenovo owned Motorola has been in the headlines for its 5G support as it has been working on a 5G Moto Mod for the last two years which extends 5G support to Motorola smartphones with only 4G support aka Moto Z3 which will host 5G capabilities and will be available on Verizon from August 16.

It is although unclear whether Lenovo will roll out the new 5G modem in its ‘Phab’ series or it would create an all-new lineup with 5G-enabled smartphones. On the other hand, Chinese smartphone manufacturer Huawei is estimated to launch its 5G smartphones next year while OnePlus will also make its 5G smartphones available in the second half of 2019. It is estimated that a total of 7 percent of the smartphone users will switch to 5G by the end of 2020.